Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the safety of NHS maternity services in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust entered the national Maternity Safety Support Programme (MSSP) in September 2022, following a Care Quality Commission inspection earlier that month which rated Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s maternity services in the Fylde constituency as ‘requires improvement’ overall. The programme provides intensive support to the trust to assist in the improvement of their maternity services, including a dedicated Maternity Improvement Advisor and support to implement a tailored improvement plan. A full diagnostic assessment has identified key areas of focus with an associated improvement plan and agreed exit criteria.

The Local Maternity and Neonatal System arm of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board receives reports from the MSSP, so it can support the service with focused improvement work.

A MSSP assurance visit on 27 January 2025 concluded that significant improvements had been made across a number of areas, with evidence of data demonstrating sustained improvement. The next review meeting for the service is to take place on 28 May 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to increase NHS capacity for winter 2025-26 in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local National Health Service winter resilience plans for the Flyde area specifically are an operational matter for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) working in partnership with local NHS providers. The ICB’s planning for 2025/26 is ongoing, including the allocation of £24 million of capital funding to improve urgent and emergency care services.

At national level, we have communicated priorities for urgent and emergency care this year through the NHS England mandate and the operational planning guidance for 2025/26. We will shortly set out further actions and improvements to be taken this year to support urgent and emergency care services.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support cadet forces in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is convinced of the benefits of cadets, not just for young people who participate, but for society. Participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people, increasing their performance at school and improving their employment and career prospects.

The Cadet Forces instil values and standards and provide the opportunity for young people to develop key skills including self-discipline, confidence, and resilience which equip them for life.

The skills, confidence, and cultural capital that young people gain from being cadets improves their social mobility, and in terms of health and wellbeing alone, participation in the Cadet Forces produces an annual return on investment in the region of £120 million.

Independent research has shown the cost of cadets is fully covered if the life outcomes of just 1% of cadets change each year so that they are in education, training, or employment.

For all these reasons, we are committed to sustaining the Cadet Forces across the UK, including within the Fylde constituency, where there are currently nine separate Cadet Units.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase to employers National Insurance contributions on general practices in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025.

General practices (GPs) are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking account of the cost of delivering services.

We are investing an additional £889 million in through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on social care providers in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

The additional funding available to Lancashire in 2025/26 means that they will see an increase to their core spending power of up to 7.3% in cash terms.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase to employers National Insurance contributions on hospices in Lancashire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, enabling the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.

The employer National Insurance contribution rise will be implemented in April 2025, and planning guidance published on 30 January 2025 sets out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding providers in the next financial year. It considers a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare, including charitable hospices. Further information on the planning guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of that funding, with Hospice UK kindly allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. An additional £75 million will be available from April 2025.

We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage young people to learn to play a musical instrument.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government believes that music is an essential part of the well-rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. That is why music is included in the national curriculum for all students aged 5 to 14 who attend maintained schools.

To support the delivery of music education, the government provides annual funding of £79 million for the Music Hubs programme. Music Hubs offer a range of services, including musical instrument tuition, instrument loaning, and whole-class ensemble teaching.

To widen access to musical instruments, the government has invested £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology. This funding enables Music Hubs to better cater to the needs of the children and young people they work with.

Additionally, the government has invested £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot. This pilot programme aims to help disadvantaged children and young people, as well as those with special eductional needs and disabilities, learn how to play an instrument of their choice or learn to sing to a high standard.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support veterans who served in Northern Ireland in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This Government recognises the important contribution and sacrifice of those who served in Northern Ireland to keep us safe, and that of the families who enabled them to do so.

Veterans who served in Northern Ireland are eligible for a range of support, wherever they reside in the United Kingdom. Veterans can additionally access tailored employment support via the Career Transition Partnership, which supports those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities, and Op ASCEND, a new employment pathway for veterans operating across the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, specialist care for physical and mental health conditions is available to veterans in Fylde via Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE respectively. For those who may be homeless or at risk of homelessness, housing guidance and support is available across the country via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support.

In Fylde specifically, UK Government funding enables Burnley FC In The Community to provide mentoring and capacity building to AFC Fylde, helping to develop their Armed Forces community engagement programmes. The funding is delivered through the Thrive Together programme, which is administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust on behalf of the Government. Additionally, Armed Forces Community HQ CIC in Wigan delivers Wigan Council’s Homes at Ease programme, which is funded through the Government’s Reducing Veteran Homelessness Fund. This ‘housing first’ solution for homeless veterans across the North West is making a tangible difference, to date housing 21 veterans across Lancashire and four within Fylde.

Where historic investigations impact on veterans who served during Op BANNER, I have committed that the Ministry of Defence will continue to provide welfare and legal support to those affected. The Department is working with the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to support its important work.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Bus Services Bill on passengers with disabilities in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, which was introduced on 17 December, will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people.

The Bill includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops more inclusive, and sets requirements for training for staff on disability-assistance and disability-awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers.

In addition to this, the Government announced in the budget that we will be investing over £1 billion to support and improve bus services. Lancashire County Council has been allocated over £27 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services. This funding can be used to improve services for passengers in whichever way they wish, including to improve access for disabled people.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on levels of business confidence in rural communities in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Autumn Budget delivered fiscal stability. Recent surveys from EY and PwC show overall business and investor confidence is rising.

The government has taken significant steps to support rural businesses across the country. We are restoring stability and investment in our public services as the best way to support growth across the country, including in rural areas. We are investing £5 billion in broadband connectivity which will support growth in rural areas across the UK. We confirmed over £650 million of funding for local transport beyond City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements in 2025-26 to ensure that transport connections improve in our towns, villages and rural areas.

We have also committed £5 billion for the farming budget over two years – which includes the largest ever amount of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36175, what steps she is taking to improve the Network Rail infrastructure reliability.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Network Rail manages the UK’s railway infrastructure, and the Office of Rail and Roal (ORR) oversees delivery. Government has committed to continue record levels of investment, providing £44.1bn across the five-year control period spanning 2019 to 2024.

This funding settlement is determined through a Periodic Review process led by the ORR. The last Periodic Review concluded in March 2024. The objectives for this control period include maintaining and improving rail infrastructure assets to help support a more reliable railway for passengers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on farmers’ mental health in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to supporting the mental health of those working in farming and agriculture.

The Government continue to fund the Farmer Welfare Grant. This currently funds four charities to deliver projects which support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One consortium of charities, led by the Farmer Network, operates in Lancashire. Their ‘Keep Farming Stronger for Longer’ campaign is delivering workshops, training, events, networking, 1:1 advice and the provision of additional Field Nurse services in the region. Furthermore, the Government is paying out £60m through the Farming Recovery Fund to support farmers affected by this unprecedented extreme wet weather.

Finally, the Government announced in their 2024 manifesto 8,500 new mental health support workers. This will give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36175 on Avanti West Coast: Standards, what conclusions were drawn from the minister's meeting with Avanti West Coast.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Rail Minister discussed Avanti West Coast (AWC) and Network Rail’s (NR) joint performance plans, including actions such as substantial driver recruitment and training on the new Evero fleet, timetable step ups and NRs first 60 miles plan.

AWC's cancellation score has improved by an average of 4.4 percentage points year-on-year between October and December 2024. However, the Minister was clear that this is still not good enough and further improvements are required.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36175, what conclusions were drawn from the minister's meeting with AWC and Network Rail.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Rail Minister discussed Avanti West Coast (AWC) and Network Rail’s (NR) joint performance plans, including actions such as substantial driver recruitment and training on the new Evero fleet, timetable step ups and NRs first 60 miles plan.

AWC's cancellation score has improved by an average of 4.4 percentage points year-on-year between October and December 2024. However, the Minister was clear that this is still not good enough and further improvements are required.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce fly-tipping in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local authorities are often best placed to respond to incidences of fly-tipping. They have a range of enforcement powers which we encourage them to make good use of. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide enforcement guidance, which councils would legally need to have regard to.

In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

In the meantime, Defra will continue to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, such as local authorities, to promote good practice on tackling fly-tipping.  Various practical tools, including ‘how to’ guides covering key issues, are also available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to encourage people to buy Lancashire produce.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As we set out in our Plan for Change, we are focused on supporting our farmers, supporting rural economic growth and boosting Britain’s food security.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed, has confirmed to businesses and industry groups from across the food sector that work is underway to develop an ambitious new food strategy.

The strategy will set the food system up for long-term success and will deliver wide ranging improvements. This will set it up for success in ensuring it is able to feed the nation, can realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet, and nourish individuals.

Defra officials regularly engage with stakeholders across the food supply chain to understand their work to promote British produce in-store and online. We strongly support efforts to promote British food and back our farmers, who produce some of the best food in the world. This is why the food strategy will set the food system up for long-term success and ensure that our food system can feed the nation, realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet, and nourish individuals, now and in the future.

The UK has a wide range of incredible regional food and drink products, including from Lancashire, like Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese which is a protected designation of origin. I strongly encourage anyone to seek out and enjoy their own local produce and the great things that other regions have to offer, too.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the number of farmers who will be affected by changes to (a) agricultural property relief and (b) business property relief in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Assessing the impact of the new Inheritance Tax policy, which comes into force from 6 April 2026, relies on a number of factors such as ownership structure and debt levels. Without such information, which the Government does not hold at that level, area level assessments cannot be made.

This Government is aware that each farm is different, and so we encourage farmers to speak to their tax advisors and agents to understand how these changes may impact their specific situation and how to plan for the future.

As an outcome of the October 2024 Spending Review, we have committed £5 billion in the agricultural budget over the next two years – the biggest ever budget for sustainable food production and nature recovery in this country’s history. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve road infrastructure in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In 2024 National Highways completed the £162m Windy Harbour to Skippool off-line bypass around the village of Little Singleton, removing a major bottleneck on the A585 into Fleetwood. Other routes serving the region, such as the M55 have been considered as part of National Highways South Pennines Route Strategy, and this will form the evidence base for future investment planning decisions for the strategic road network in the region.

Investment on the local road network in the region is the responsibility of Lancashire County Council, who will benefit from their share of an extra £500 million for highways maintenance during 2025/26 as announced at the Autumn Budget.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase his Department’s support for SMEs in the defence industry in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make a vital contribution to economic growth and are a valuable source of technical innovation in defence. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, as well as the Department’s Social Value policies. We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that SMEs have fair access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence.

We have announced the launch of a new hub to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain and have committed to set direct SME spending targets for the Ministry of Defence by June this year, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK, including those in the Fylde constituency, will benefit from the decision to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase to employers’ National Insurance contributions on the defence industry in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As individual suppliers and contractors will manage the changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions differently, it would be extremely difficult for the Department to estimate the impact this will have on the defence industry, including those based in the Fylde constituency.